Pivotal frame wringer



N. L. ETTEN PIVOTAL FRAME WRINGER Filed Sept. 3, l943 Aug. 260, 19%'. N. L. ETTEN PIVOTAL FRAME WRINGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 3. 1945 Patented Aug. 20, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-lcs PIV OTAL FRAME WRINGER Nicholas L. Etten, Waterloo, Iowa Application September 3, 1943, Serial No. 501,180

6 Claims. l (Cl. 68-263) My invention relates to clothes wringers ofthe type mounted on power driven domestic clothes washers. This case is a continuation in part of my application, Serial No. 388,024, filed April 11,

The particular object of my invention is to provide a safety pressure release operable upon pivotal movement of the wringer by pressure applied n any part of the wringer. I am aware that pivotal release mechanisms have been made involving pivotal movement of the wringer in relation to the gear head or such similar arrangement, but such devices involve separating the gear head from the wringer and supporting the wringeron pivotal links or the like, which introduces complications in structure which I desire to avoid.

Another object of my invention is to provide means to pivotally mount a practical, unitary gear head and wringer mechanism by means which will provide a release of roll pressure upon pivotal movement of the complete wringer.

I will disclose and describe the device in the following description and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation View of the wringer complete in operating position, and

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the Asame wringer as shown in Fig. 1.

Now referring to the drawings, and at the outset to Fig. 1, I designate the lower frame housing, the wringer and gear head complete, constituting a single wall thickness part, by the numeral I0, and the upper frame by the numeral II. Conventional wringer rolls I2 and I3 are mounted in conventional bearings in the lower frame as shown. The inner end of the top frame is mounted on the lower frame by a stationary stab clip I3, and the outer end of the upper frame is mounted on the lowerframe by a pressure reset lever I4 and the toggle lever I5, the reset lever being pivotally mounted on the upper frame II by the pivot I6 and attached to the toggle lever I by the pivot I8, the toggle lever I5 pivoting on the lower frame I0 by the pin I1.

This is a conventional form of frame attachment f well understood in the art and will not be described in further detail except to explain that the toggle lever I5 in closed position is a stable toggle which is released by moving the reset lever I 4 outwardly until the toggle pin I8 is thrown outwardly beyond the pin I'I when the entire upper frame will be released by the movement of the toggle I5. Roll pressure is provided by a conventional spring I9 held in pressure sustaining position by the adjustment screw 20.

The complete wringer is pivotally supported on an indexing ange casting 20 and interposed between the flange 20' and the frame 'III is a pivot plate 2|,to which the frame I0 is pivotally attached by the pivot pin 22 on the inner end of the Wringer. The wringer is normally held in xed position by the taper plunger 23, which is held in the mating notch 24-of the pivot plate 2| by the spring 25 aroun`d theplunger rod 26. The plunger rod 26 is slidably mounted in bearings 21 and 28. By this structure it will be understood that pressure applied on the frames I0 and II will tend to pivot the frame III around the pivot pin 22 and by the tapered notch 24 force the plunger 23 outwardly" against the spring 25, whereupon the rod 26 willbe moved outwardly, pushing the reset lever I4 with it to release the toggle I 5 and with it the top 'frame I I.

Excess movement of the frame'IIl is prevented by stops 29 and 30 on the pivot plate 2 I," as clear'- ly shown in Fig. 2. It will be appreciated that the wringer is held inY central position on the pivot plate 2I by the co-action betweenthe 'pivot pin 22 and the taper plunger 23`in the notch 24.

Now referring again to Fig. l, the drive tothe gear head is provided by conventional drive shaft 3l rotatably mounted in bearings 32 and 33in the indexing flange casting 20. The shaft 3| is held by the bearings 32 and 33 in the flange casting 2D because it is necessary to provide a' slotted o-pening 34 in the bottom of the frame I0 by reason of the relative movement between the frame I0 and the pivot plate 2 I. The drive shaft( 3l mounts a conventional spur gear 35 in the f gear head which meshes with a companion spur gear 36 on the vvertical shaft 31. The gear 36 is iiXed to the shaft 3l and drives the clutch 36v yby means of a key 39 on which the clutch is slidable. The key 39 holds the loose lower gear 36 and the upper spur gear 40 in operating relationship by co-action with the pin 40 and the collar 31. The clutch 38 is provided with internal gear openings 4I and 42 mating with the inner ends of the respective gears 40 and 36', whereby'when the clutch 38 is actuated in one direction or another, the internal gears 4I and 42 will 'engage the ends of the respective vgears 4D and 36', whereby driving relationship with the shaft is established and the mating face gear 43 may be driven in either direction at the will of the operator by moving the handle 44 to force the eccentric pin 45 either-upward or downward to establish driving relationship with either gear 36 or 40. This is a conventional form of drive gear head which is well understood in the art, andis believed to require no further description.

As is well understood in the art, the lower frame must be indexed pivotally around the washing machine to provide facilities to wring from out of the washing machine or out of associated rinse tubs. Such indexing is provided in my device by an indexing mechanism mounted on a bracket 46 attachedV to the pivot plate 2 i. A release latch 48 is pivotallyf attached to the bracket by the pin 41 and'c'ont'acts an indexing pin '4'9 urged upwardly by the spring 50 as illustrated. The pin 49 is adapted to engage selectively in notches "5i *gear housing portion surrounding the reversing in the periphery of the flange 20" and'incoacting recess in the plate 2l. By moving the index lever upward the indexing pin d9=ismoved1down or out of contact with the-,indexing notches 5| disposed around the iiangeo'f the member'2ll, and thereupon the entire wringer with the pivotplate 2l may be indexed to any required index notch Vt'.i|,.and ,thewringerfdisposed -in properposition as .required-by the vfoperator. .-Now referring to Fig.' l2, it will be appreciated that when the wringer frame I 6 is moved pivotally j-around thepin 22-on the pivot plate 2i, and the yrelease plunger YZithas been actuated to release ethegljeset lever I4 and the top frame Il, the en- ,.tire Iwr-inger including the gear head, will be piv- ,otally'moved around thepin -22, as shown Iin brokendot-dash; outline in Fig. 2. Only such -partsnecessarytoshow Athe movement are illusatrated, Thegear headand' gears 35, 35 in position F areY not illustrated. W'hen such movement -occurs in fabackward direction, the spur gear 3S will assume Athe position shown in dot-dash outline at B. It will Vbe noted that such pivotal fmovement around pivot `point 22-will `move the spur gear 136-outof engagement with the spur gear 35, as clearly shown in V,dot-dash outline B, andthereupon the drive to, the rolls will be interrupted' andtherefrore the rolls 'will be stopped (from ypower rotation. ,Similarly,' upon reverse movement-of the spur gear 36 to the point F forwardly, thesame interruption of the roll drive occurs, and, therefore, roll stop vwill be accom- ,-plished 'by pivotal movement of the wringer in either jdirection.

lt'will be appreciated that the force required to accomplish the pivotal movement .as above 'described, may vbe varied by adjusting the tension 'of the spring 25, or angularity of the plunger 23 land-'its companion tapered notch 24.

fHaving'thus described my invention, I claim:

f1. .In a" vvringer, the "combination of a wringer frameincluding aplurality of rolls Arotatively -mounted-in 'said frame, pressure mea-ns for the rolls," a drive'shaft, a reversing gear mechanism connected with .the ldrive shaft, a gear housing portion constituting a single side wall thickness surrounding the 'reversing gear mechanism, a .mounting plate, and a vertical pivot mounted on the mounting plate and connecting with said plate the 4wringer frame and gear housing, the entire Wringer frame and gear housing being .pivotally mounted on the Vmounting plate at a point substantially spaced away from the end of the -gear Ahousing `opposite the roll supporting frame,.solthat all portions of the gear housing and yframe-'are arranged Afor vand subject to movement Aby exterior forces applied tov any point on the-,gear housing or frame; and a'release actuating'mechanism operatively interconnecting the shiftable portions of the frame and gear housing Jwith-the relatively stationary mounting plate and adapted to-operate .inwresponse to pivotal 'gearhmechanism being integral with and rigidly connected to the roll supporting frame portion of rthe wringer and constituting a single side wall .thickness surrounding the driving gears, a mounting plate, a vertical pivot rearward of the gear housing on the mounting plate and connecting said plate with the wringer frame and gear housing, a pressurelatch mechanism adapted to .maintain the 'wringer rolls -in pressure engage- Ament vwith each other through the Vaction of the spring, `and a release actuating mechanism operatively interconnecting the shiitable portions fof ftheframe and gear housing withA the relatively .stationary mounting plate and adapted to 'operate .in response to pivotal movement between the .frame and the plate, and to-release the pressure latch .to release the spring pressure effective -betweenftherolls.

3. In a wringer, .the combination of .a Avvringer tra-me, a*y plurality vof lcoacting rolls rotatably lmounted on the frame, a drive shaft, a revers- .ing `gear mechanism connected with the vdrive 'shaft .and including forwardvand reverse vdriving gears, a gear housing enclosing the reversing gear mechanism,'said housing being rigidly VConnected with the -wringer frame, amounting plate, Aa vertical pivot rearward of the gear housingon vthe mounting plate rand pivotally connecting said plate with the wringer fra-me and gear housing, ypressure latch mechanism adapted `to maintain the wringer rolls inpressure Vengagement with each other, 'and arelease actuating mechanism operatively interconnecting 'the shifta-ble portions of theV frame and vgear housing with the relatively stationary mounting plate andtadapted ,to operate in response to 'pivotal movement ybe- .tWeen the `frame and the plate -to release the pressure latch mechanism acting to maintain the rolls in pressure engagement.

4.1m a wringer, the combination of a wringer firame, a plurality of coacting rolls rotatably lmounted in the frame, drive gearing for the rolls, a gear housing enclosing the gearing and being Yrigidly connected with the Wringer frame, a mounting plate, a vertical pivot rearward of the gear housing on the mountingplate and pivotally connecting said ,plateV with the wringer frame and vgear housing, pressure latch mechanism adapted to'maintain the wringer rolls in pressure engagement with each other, and release actuating means operatively Ainterconnecting the shiftable portions 'of :the frame and gear `"housing with the relatively stationary mounting plate and adapted to operate in response to pivotal movement between the trame and the plate to release the pressure latch mechanism :acting to maintain the rolls in pressure engagement.

-5. .In aV wringer, the combination of a Vwringer frame, a plurality fof coacting rollsAV rotatably mounted in the frameya drive shaft, drivegearing for :the Vrolls and operativelyconne'cted with the drive shaft, .azgear housing. enclosing the gearing and connected with the wringer frame,

mounting means for the gear housing and wringer frame including a support and a pivotal connection between said support and the gear housing spaced laterally from the axis of the drive shaft for swinging movement of the gear housing and wrnger frame eccentrically relative to the drive shaft, pressure latch mechanism adapted to maintain the wringer rolls in pressure engagement with each other, and release actuating means operatively interconnecting the shiftable portions of the frame and gear housing with the relatively stationary mounting support and adapted to operate in response to pivotal movement between the frame and the support to release the pressure latch mechanism acting to maintain the rolls in pressure engagement.

6. In a wringer, the combination of a unitary wringer frame and gear housing, coacting rolls rotatably mounted in the frame, an upright supporting column, mounting means for the wringer frame including a, support carried by the supporting column, means mounting the Wringer frame on said support and having a pivotal connection with said support spaced laterally outward from said upright column for swinging movement of the wringer frame eecentrically relative to said upright column, pressure latch mechanism for maintaining the rolls in pressure engagement with each other, and release actuating means operatively interconnecting the Wringer frame and mounting support and operative in response to the swinging movement of the frame to release the pressure latch mechanism.

a plurality of NICHOLAS L. ETTEN. 

